Brutalism and High-Tech Architecture Masterpiece in London

Along the route, participants will engage in close readings of key buildings—including the Barbican Estate and major City of London landmarks—focusing on their design intentions, spatial organisation, structural systems, and historical development as individual works of architecture.

The tour also weaves in three pivotal events that have profoundly shaped London’s urban form: the Blitz during the Second World War, the IRA bombing campaigns of the late 20th century, and the legacy of the Great Fire of London. These moments are used to frame how destruction, risk, and reconstruction have continuously redefined the city.

As an architect, I bring a practitioner’s perspective to the tour, offering insights into how these buildings are conceived, detailed, and experienced, while highlighting what makes modern architecture distinct in both its ambitions and its contradictions. The aim is to provide participants with a deeper, more critical understanding of how London’s built environment has evolved over time.